It’s official, Fall is finally here! The long hot days of summer are in the rearview and the perfectly crisp autumn afternoons are here to stay. That means now is the perfect time to to start diving into all of your seasonal home maintenance projects before the unruly winter months arrive. We’re here to share some our favorite tips to help you get your home winter weather ready.

Here are our 7 fall maintenance must for homeowners:

1. Check Your Windows and Doors

It’s no secret that energy bills tend to skyrocket during the colder months. That’s why, our first fall maintenance must is to make sure that there are no cracks, leaks, or spaces where you can feel air coming through your window sills or door frames. If you do, make sure to seal the leak or call a professional who can. This is one of the easiest ways to save on winter energy bills and keep your house from getting cold. You don’t want to be heating the outdoors, after-all.

2. Clean Your HVAC System

Have you ever noticed that when you first turn your heating or air conditioning unit on after it’s sat dormant for a season it seems to run a bit sluggish? Maybe it even has a distinct scent? Our next fall maintenance must is to have your air conditioning and heating units cleaned twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall. Doing this will not only help expand the life of your units and improve their productivity, it will also will help keep the air filtering through them cleaner and vicariously help your family stay healthier.

3. Check Your Fireplace

Do you use a wood burning or gas fireplace in the winter? Did you know that as the months get cooler, critters like to take up residence in these dark cozy spaces to stay warm? That’s why our next fall maintenance must is a thorough visual inspection of your fireplace. This will make sure that are there no uninvited guests. Once you’ve got the all clear on critters, go ahead and give it a test run at some point in the fall. You’ll want to do this before it gets too cold, that way you can make sure that it will be functioning in the winter.

4. Drain Your Water Heater

Has your water been feeling a little gritty? Your water heater may be the culprit. Did you know you can clean your water heater just by draining it? Go ahead and allow all of the water in the tank to come out. Doing this will get rid of any buildup that has settled into your water heater due to sediment and will help prevent it from building up during the winter.

5. Protect your Hose

If you’re like me, you’re probably guilty of at one point deciding your hose would be just fine out in the elements as is through the winter months. Which means your also probably aware that leaving it to fend for itself might leave you adding a new one to your amazon cart in the spring. If you want to keep your garden hose from freezing and cracking then you need to empty it completely and disconnect it from the spigot. You might also want to go ahead and bring it inside to help prevent your it from freezing and getting destroyed.

6. Clean Your Gutters.

Everybody says to clean your gutters, but how many of us actually do? Furthermore, how many of us know the reason why it’s so important to do so? It turns out when you don’t clean your gutters, the downspout can get clogged from leaves, debris, or any matter that end up there. This blockage then leaves standing water to collect and eventually overflow. Left unattended to, the leaves that clog up your gutter can begin to decompose and eventually rot. That’s why our next fall maintenance must is to remove any excess leaves and debris.

7. Clean Out Your Garage.

Most of us are guilty of turning at least part of our garage into a catch-all space during the spring and summer months. Between DIY projects, kids activities, and lawn equipment, suddenly it starts to become less and less important to park our cars in this prime real estate. However, as the seasons change and rain turns to ice that coveted garage parking space becomes crucial again. That’s why our final fall maintenance must is to claim back your parking space by cleaning out your garage before the weather turns.

We hope this list was helpful! Please share and add any fall maintenance tips or tricks we might have missed!

Enjoy these tips? Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more!